Opening statements began on October 14, 2026 in Russell Brand's rape and sexual assault trial at Suffolk Crown Court in London, where he faces seven charges involving six women and has pleaded not guilty. A woman has testified that Brand raped her in a 1999 hotel room; the defense pressed her on consent and on why she did not flee or report, and the judge later stopped the cross-examination, saying a question misrepresented Complainant One's video interview. Brand denies the criminal charges and says he slept with a 16-year-old when he was 30. None of the six accusers appeared in the Channel 4 documentary, and the trial is expected to run several weeks.